The Maharashtra government has purchased a 'Distinguished Visitors' car for the travel of VIPs in Palghar district, which has been recently in news for deaths due to malnutrition.

The state government has also placed an order for another such car for the district.

According to a recent Government Resolution (GR), an amount of Rs 40 lakh was sanctioned for 2016-17 for the purchase of two seven seater cars, of which one has been procured and order for the second one has been placed with the authorised agency.

The vehicles will be used for VIPs like the guardian minister and members of the state council of ministers for their travel in the district, the GR said.

The opposition Congress took a jibe at the government over the purchase of the vehicle, saying it has "misplaced priorities".

"Hundreds of malnutrition deaths in Palghar have been reported due to lack of funds. But the government splurges lakhs of rupees on fancy cars," Maharashtra Congress general secretary Sanjay Dutt alleged.

Recently, Maharashtra Tribal Affairs minister Vishnu Savra, who is also the guardian minister of Palghar district, had faced the wrath of a tribal woman whose two-year-old son died last month apparently due to malnutrition.

During his visit to the grief-stricken family in Mokhada taluka, villagers claimed that over 600 children had died in the tribal-dominated district due to malnutrition since January last.